Trolley ear



NQV. '7, 1944. i s, s, MATTHEs 2,362,082

TROLLEY EAR Filed May 29, 1943 I, I D U Q 0 51k 9: E 0) O E. O "o\ 0 O,

O \l O O (D 0 C) W 0 1" \O I Snnentor SAMUEL s. MATTHES (IttornegPatented Nov. 7, 1944 STATES PATENT orm .Samuel syMatthes, ,Mansfield,Ohio, assignor to Thefflhio Brass Company, "Mansfield, Ohio, a.corporation ofNew Jersey Application Mayize, 1943, Serial No.2489,248

eelsims.

Myinventi'on relates-to devices? for supporting conductors and morecommonly referred "to as 'trelley ears,

My invention is an improvement" upon :my'-pre vious trolley -eardescribed: and illustrated in Patent" 25027.,604' issuedJanuary 1936.

Onepbjedthfmyinverition is t'o provide an carer-two parts one of whiohis .of cast metal; and in which the two parts are securelyinterlockedan'd capable of withstanding thes'tresses thereon, inservice-especially strains due to the side pull of the *troller wire andthe wear upon thedips.

lmotl'ler*cibziectof my invention is to provide an ear in which "thewire holder m'body for the trolleyw ire may be of different metal fromthat cr me support "for the holder, and which *maybe prlziduced"economically and which is practical to construct.

In the past the great majority of trolley ears have been entirely ofcastmetal'in one piece.

These'have and are giving general satisfaotionbut "there are conditionsunder which such an ear does not give maximum performance, and it "hasbeen 'found that by making the wire holder or 'a diiferent "metal fromthat of the support, improved resultar'esecure'd. Trolley earshave beenmade in the past of two different metals, as for instancathe wireholde'rof rolled or drawn sheet metal, "such as copper and the support of asteel. Various metals in sheet form are procurable and are easily formedto various shapes, by ineans offorming dies. While such dies-areinitially'expensive, their life is usually great and the-costissoonabsorbed in quantity production,

thus producing a relatively economical product andmuch-more uniform thanby casting.

I find that the support may behast from a considerably cheaper ialloywhen the wire holder is termed from 'sheet metal and secured to'theholder'of sheet metal than whenthe entire ear is cast in one piece"because in the latter -case it is necessary "to use "an alloy which isfirst'suitable for the hofider and this requires a-more expensiveralloythannecessa-ry for the support. ear in which both parts-are cast'and onepart cast ontdthe dther' isdisclosed inPaterit'1,51-6,8'64issue'dNovemberQd 1924.

tThe-holders-is :so cconstructed that the support may ::be attached"thereto by casting at" the time the support is cast. i hls produces asecureinterlock ibetween-the wire'holderand'supportpart, especially withproperaconstruction Of'tthfihflldfil'.

My invention will be best understood from the following drawing, and thedescription .thereof, both forming parts :of this application.

In the drawing:

Fig. I .is :a side view' in partial "section of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of Fig.1.

Fig. '3 is an enlarged'rsection on "line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a topview of the'wire holder-portion of Fig. :1 after :formingbut before assembling.

Fig. S5 is :a side yiew or the holder of Fig. '1 after .formingbutfbefore:assembling.

Fig. .6 is an enlarged zsection =.on the line 8-4 of .Figiiwithaatrollerwire dottedin.

Iiirst produce therunner I from sheetmetal and cut "to the proper's'izeto:fitthe-tro'llerwire for which the eerie intended. I :then "drill'theseveral :holes 2 but which may be produced .by stamping in which casethey may be square, oblongzorof other suitable shape.

I'then formybyzsuita'ble dies, the drilled-sheet into ;a .U shapedmember having a channel or groove'3 :of proper-size :and shape mm thetrolley wire. The dependingrsides or lips Mare adapted to be peenedabout the wireto hold it inplace.

At the time of forming the metal :sheet and producing the channel :3gI=;form an up -'struck-portionor elongated portion 5 which forms asecond groove'B-epening-into the channel :3with which the "openings :2communicate.

"The ends of the holder or :body, for a limited distance back from theends thereof .are formed withpa bight connecting the flips, the:eurvature "of the hight :made to conform to and lit the vtrolley When a'"trolley wire is placed in the-groove "3 of the holder just afterforming, the groove '6 forms a receptaelewith the openings '2.

The support 1 for thef'ho'lder is of cast metal and cast to'the-ho'lderat the same'time'thessupport is cast. operation is -.preierably done indies, the process being knownas'die-casting.

The wire holder as shown inFigs. '2 -and"3 is placed in a proper recess:in *the die and a 'core shape'd' 'to 'theslot3 is inserted in the slot.This provides the receptacle formed by the groove i referre'd'to above.

The openings 2 communicate with the groove 6 and with a recess in thecasting die which conforms to the desired shape 'oi" the support =1Molten metal "isnow forced "into thedle under pressure, .fillingthe-cavity "for the support l and 7 also flowing through the openings 2and into the receptacle formed by the groove 6.

When the device is removed from the castin die, it will be found thatthe two parts I and I are securely interlocked and particularly againstsid strain of the trolley wire at curves.

The elongated groove 6 is filled with the cast metal which forms acontinuous bar 8 and the cast metal in the openings 2 is integrallyunited to the portion 8 and to the support I and this construction formsan unusually strong interlock, and any stresses in service are uniformlydistributed along the ears.

The inner surface of the portion 8 conforms to the curvature of thetrolley wire and offers a backing therefor against upward pressure froma passing current collector.

The boss 9 is usually threaded 'to receiv a hanger support.

After the ear is received from the casting die, the ends of the lips 4are tapered to ease and make smooth the passage of the current collectoronto and oif the ear.

The wire holder may be formed by casting, but

I prefer to make it of drawn or rolled sheet metal.

the body between said bights being raised with respect to the saidlimited portions whereby the inher surface of said raised portion isspaced from a longitudinal plane coinciding with the inner surface ofsaid bights whereby a continuous channel is formed within said body bysaid raised portion, a plurality of openings extending through the bodyalong the said raised portion and communicating with the said channel,the openings being of less width than that of the channel opening and ametal support secured to said raised portion by casting the supportalong the outer surface of said raised portion and throughout the entirelength of said channel and integrally united.

by cast metal extending through said openings.

2. A conductor support comprising an elongated metal body having spacedlips forming a two-part groove with one part to receive atrolley Wireand connected at each end by a bight, the bights for a limited distancefrom each end of the body conforming in shape and size to the trolleyWire, the portion of the body between said limited portions being raisedwith respect to the said bights whereby the other part of said groove isformed with the inner surface of said raised portion spaced from a planecoinciding with the inner surface of said bights, the said other partcomprising an elongated channel within said body, a plurality ofopenings extending through the body along the said raised portion andcommunicating with the said channel and a metal support secured to saidraised portion by casting the support along the outer surface of saidraised portion and throughout the entire length of said longitudinalchannel within said body and through said openings, the exposed surfaceof said cast metal within the channel corresponding in size andcurvature to that of the trolley wire. 3. A trolley wire supportcomprising, in combination, an inverted U shaped body having spaced lipsand so shaped as to form a groove therebetween having two parallelportions, one portion to receive a trolley wire, the end of said lipsconnected by bights, each bight having a surface conforming to thecurvature of thetrolley wire, the other portion of said groove extendingbetween the inner ends of the bights and forming a single, continuouslongitudinal channel opening into the said one portion of the groove,openings extending through the metal forming the wall of the channel andcommunicating with the channel, a metal support interlocked with theportion of the body forming the said other part of the groove by castingalong the outer surface of said body portion and by filling said channelwith said cast metal thereby forming a continuous bar and filling saidopenings with cast metal whereby said external portion of said supportis integrally connected to said continuous bar in said channel.

4. A trolley wire device comprising, in combination, an inverted Ushaped body having spaced lips forming a groove therebetween to receivea trolley wire, the ends of said lips connected by bights, each bighthaving a surface conforming to the curvature of the trolley wiresurface, the body portion between the bights upthrust to form alongitudinal channel within the U shaped body and closed at its ends bythe said bights and opening into its groove throughout the length,openings through the raised wall of the channel, cast -metal filling thechannel throughout its length and forming a support for the bodyportion, cast metal forming a support for the cast metal support withinthe channel extending alon the exterior surface of the wall forming thechannel and provided with means to attach the device to a support, andcast metal extending through the openings and integralwith the aforesaidcast metal portions whereby the portions are secured to the body.

5. A trolley wire device comprising, in combination, a body memberformed from sheet metal and having a pair of spaced bendable lipsforming a two part groove, one part extending for the entire length ofthe body to receive a trolley wire, 'the lips connected at each end by abight of limited length along the body and conforming to the curvatureof the wire, the other part of the groove extending between the innerends of the bights and opening throughout its length into the said onepart of the groove, openings through the wall of the said other part ofthe groove, a support member for said body interlocked thereto bycasting the same with said body to extend along the outer surface of thewall of said second part of the groove and to fill said openings andsaid second part of the groove whereby the body member is supported bythe metal in said second part of the groove which in turn i supported bythe exterior portion of the support through the medium of the portionsin said openings.

6. A conductor supporting device comprising a conductor holder providedwith a two part longi tudinal groove, one part larger than the otherpart to receive and hold the conductor and means extending through thewall of the holder forming the said other part of the groove, a supportmember cast with a portion extending along the '7. In combination, atrolley wire, a conductor holder positioned on said wire, the holderprovided with lips bent onto the Wire and having upthrust means forminggrooved means within the holder disposed along the trolley wire forsubstantially the entire length of the holder, openings through the Wallof said up-thrust means and opening into said grooved means, a supportfor said holder formed of cast metal and attached to aid holder bycasting said metal along the outer surface of said up-thrust portion,through said openings and within said grooved means, the, metal in saidgrooved means forming supporting means for said holder and a backing forsaid trolley wire against the up-thrust of a passing current collector.

8. A conductor supporting device comprising, in combination, a holderprovided with a longitudinal channel to receive and hold a trolley wire,auxiliary channel means within the holder and disposed along the holder,cast metal positioned within the said auxiliary channel means to supportthe holder, a support for the said metal in the channel means within theholder formed of cast metal extending along the outer wall of saidholder, openings through the wall of said holder, and cast metal fillingsaid openings and integrally uniting to the aforesaid cast metal partswhereby the cast metal in the channel means is interlocked to theholder.

9. A conductor holder for a conductor support comprising, incombination, an elongated body of sheet metal formed into a channelhaving a U shaped groove to receive a trolley wire of extended length,the depending sides of the channel forming lips bendable about the wire,the lips for a distance extending back from the ends thereof beingconnected by a bight shaped and sized to the trolley wire, a secondgroove paralleling the first groove and extending between the inner endof the bights, the second groove opening for its entire length into thefirst groove and openings extending through the wall of the body intothe said second groove.

SAMUEL S. MAT'I'HES.

